Question

Can a bimetallic strip made of brass and silver be used in a thermostat ? give reason for your answer.

Answer 1

⇔Bimetal strips – also known as bimetallic strips – are used in electronics and thermal engineering as a means of transferring thermal energy into mechanical movement.

⇔A common application of this technology is in thermostats or heat sensitive switches in which a circuit is either connected or broken when a certain temperature is reached.

⇔The strips work by pairing two metals which react to changes in temperature at different rates, causing the two strips to bend in a certain direction in an effect similar to the refraction of a light beam entering a glass block.

⇔ In theory, any stable metals can be used in a bimetallic strip as all metals expand to some extent when exposed to heat. Choose two dissimilar metals and test their expansion levels by exposing them to heat. Select two metals that expand at very different levels; this disparity is what causes the bimetallic strip to move in the way it does. Two commonly used metals are brass and steel.


⇔ Coming to the point, can a bimetallic strip made of Brass and silver be used in a thermostat?
⇔ The answer would be a big no.

⇔ Thermal Expansion Coefficient (microinch/(in oF)) of Brass = 10.4
⇔ Thermal Expansion Coefficient (microinch/(in oF)) of silver = 11

⇔ Bimetallic strips used in thermostats must have metals that expand at different rates for the practical applicability. But Brass and silver have nearly equal thermal expansion coefficients which make them unsuitable for the same.

⇔ Thus, a bimetallic strip made of Brass and silver can't be used in a thermostat due to negligible difference in their thermal expansion coefficients.

:)

Answer 2

Bimetal strips – also known as bimetallic strips – are used in electronics and thermal engineering as a means of transferring thermal energy into mechanical movement.

⇔A common application of this technology is in thermostats or heat sensitive switches in which a circuit is either connected or broken when a certain temperature is reached.

⇔The strips work by pairing two metals which react to changes in temperature at different rates, causing the two strips to bend in a certain direction in an effect similar to the refraction of a light beam entering a glass block.

⇔ In theory, any stable metals can be used in a bimetallic strip as all metals expand to some extent when exposed to heat. Choose two dissimilar metals and test their expansion levels by exposing them to heat. Select two metals that expand at very different levels; this disparity is what causes the bimetallic strip to move in the way it does. Two commonly used metals are brass and steel.

⇔ Coming to the point, can a bimetallic strip made of Brass and silver be used in a thermostat?

⇔ The answer would be a big no.

⇔ Thermal Expansion Coefficient (microinch/(in oF)) of Brass = 10.4

⇔ Thermal Expansion Coefficient (microinch/(in oF)) of silver = 11

⇔ Bimetallic strips used in thermostats must have metals that expand at different rates for the practical applicability. But Brass and silver have nearly equal thermal expansion coefficients which make them unsuitable for the same.

⇔ Thus, a bimetallic strip made of Brass and silver can't be used in a thermostat due to negligible difference in their thermal expansion coefficients.